ST. ANDREWS: The best for last, part III

Our second dinner at the Rossmount Inn was part of the amazing package deal I wrote about before. We had a choice of three-courses from the menu and unlike other places, they didn’t care if we nixed one dessert for an extra appetizer. Oh swoon – flexibility AND great food.

I was blown away by the raw Malpeque oyster appetizer ($3 each). I’ve enjoyed them before but never with a frozen red-wine-shallot mignonette and verjus-apple vinaigrette.

A twist on the traditional French sauce for oysters, the mignonette was a concentrated punch of red wine and shallots that was frozen and then somehow served like shaved ice. Tiny cubed bits of apple were sprinkled over the oysters, so when you gulped everything down together, it was an amazing delivery of slightly sweet, sour, and savoury on top of the sea saltiness of the mighty bivalve.

This was Jason’s first taste of raw oysters and I’m afraid the unforgettable mignonette has ruined all future oyster experiences for him.

In lieu of one dessert, we shared the salmon tartare ($8). The salmon, first of all, was fresh like crazy, and cleverly paired with soft chunks of avocado, crunchy radish, sweet pear, chives, cilantro and extra-virgin orange oil.

Jason also got a yummy arugula salad ($7) – from the inn’s garden – layered with heirloom tomatoes, black olive tapanade, chèvre, basil, extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic reduction and smoked fleur de sel. I think we were short on vegetable-intake during our vacation.

We got a carafe of the 2003 Château Bonnet Entre-deux-Mers ($22), my new favourite white from the night before. But then Jason switched to a full-bodied, plummy Wyndham Estate shiraz for his first steak since we left Alberta.

Not surprisingly the grilled beef striploin ($25) was Sterling Silver from High River, Alberta. But this Maritime kitchen knows how to cook a good piece of meat.

The striploin was rare and tender, drizzled with foie-gras butter and red wine-truffle jus. Oh yum. Jason did a double-take over the incredibly smooth and tasty cauliflower purée and some pretty, candy-striped chioggia beets. Again, no boring potatoes/steamed veg here.

I went with the sautéed chicken breast ($16) with portobello mushrooms, white wine-rosemary cream sauce and rösti, a fried patty of shredded potatoes and a reflection of chef/owner Chris Aerni’s Swiss origins. It was nothing fancy but it was delicious and hearty, which I think is a main goal of the inn. It’s not fine dining so much as simply great food.

For dessert, we succumbed to the white-chocolate-sesame crème brûlée with grapefruit-campari sorbet in a spoon, and citrus gingersnap.

I didn’t want dinner to ever end here. Not only the food, but also the service is exceptional. We had the same server both nights.

She was so great, remembering what we liked and making recommendations. I asked for a jug of water to bring up to our room at the end of our meal on the first night. On our second night, she brought another jug unasked. I know it’s a small thing, but it really makes a big difference.

The restaurant at the Rossmount Inn is superb. I can’t recommend it enough for both the food and the value. If you’re ever in the area, make sure you make reservations, this can’t be missed. And if you’re not, make plans to go!

Rossmount Inn, 4599 Route 127, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, (506) 529-3351.
More info here.